Talking about Bugsnax - A Review
Over the course of a couple months leading up to the PlayStation 5's release, Sony showcased their upcoming games through their State of Plays. These ranged from their AAA titles to their darling indies from The Last of Us Part II to The Pathless, and many others, but one game managed to stand out among these titles with it's cute premise and catchy song.
The trailer showed Elizabert Megafig inviting you to Snaktooth Island to do a story about the new species she discovered, the titular Bugsnax. You follow a walking strawberry going toward the explorer which she snatches up and eats. Her hand and forearm turn into strawberries, then the trailer breaks out in adorable song about the creatures. It's all so very cute.
Some time after, Sony announced the PS+ lineup for November. It was to be the first that lucky PS5 owners can also add to their library. Along with Shadow of Mordor and Hollow Knight, Bugsnax would be the first PS5 game available on the new consoles through PS+. As a plus, Sony decided to have the game be available for two months instead of one so first time subscribers would could grab the title when they inevitably sign up for the free trial.
Bugsnax (s. bugsnak) are half-bug and half-insect creatures that taste how they're named and look. When ingested, a random body part changes into the fruit/food. It would seem that it tastes the same also, not so much the crunch or slime of an insect, but more the sweetness of a fruit or the juiciness of fast food, since they all (except one) love to eat it so much.
The game starts out with you asking your boss to go to Snaktooth Island, accepting Lizbert's invitation to study her research about Bugsnax. You get hit by a flying pizza and crash. Then you meet Filbo Fiddlepie, the self appointed mayor of Snaksburg, who informs you that Lizbert has gone missing and you need to help him find her, but not before asking you to feed him a bugsnak.
With the disappearance of Lizbert and no one to lead and feed them, the grumpuses move away from Snaxburg and live off in other parts of Snaktooth Island. Filbo asks you to help convince them to return to the town. Each grumpus has their own sidequests, which is usually achieved by feeding them with the island's tasty creatures or by collecting them.
Along the way, you obtain the necessary equipment to catch type of Bugsnax, like a trap to catch them and different condiments to lure them in. Catching each and every type can either be really simple or complex, some bugsnax even require another bugsnak to secure their capture. You don't have to catch each one to progress through the game's main story, unless you want the trophy for it.
The game takes around 8 hours to go through, a little more if you're a completionist and want to get that platinum. Through its runtime, the game starts from bright colored and happy then takes a turn the further you explore the island and delve into the conspiracy of Bugsnax.
Had it not been included in the PS+ lineup and been "free", I would not have picked this game up. Through this game, I have had an appreciation for indie games, and hopefully PlayStation adds more splotlights on the genre.
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